J.E.R.B.A. Jungle

Sweet adoption song- Naleigh Moon

2012-01-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

This song is too sweet not to share!

I don't normally post this many videos but there are some good ones out there right now:-)

The Jesus I know!

2012-01-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Those of you who grew up in "church" and got caught up in all the religion and missed Jesus... this gives a great perspective for all He has done and why this Jesus is worth following!

2012 is the YEAR!

2012-01-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

What an amazing month of December we had! We tried to be intentional and SLOW down our busy pace of life...AND it worked!! We spent time with friends and family, going to the Muppets movie, splurging on frozen yogurt, rock climbing at the gym, crabbing at the coast, playing games, eating yummy food, celebrating Jesus birth and watching Christmas movies together! I would do it all over again...it was so worth it!

Now if we can only keep our everyday life like that:-)

Adoption update:
Some of our friends who are also adopting from Uganda with the same agency got their referral a few days before Christmas. What a glorious Christmas present! But...if I am truthful...which I aim to be in EVERYTHING...it caused my heart to race and I kinda freaked out a little. Just a little bit.

This whole adoption process became so real for me hearing their story and the precious little girl God has set aside for this awesome family. It hit me...we could be next! My faith is being stretched and I have told God how much I need him to strengthen my faith and help me to put all my trust in Him.

So we continue to pray for our little boy that God is moving in his life and preparing him to join our family and preparing our hearts for him too!!

Adoption update

2011-12-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

I CAN'T BELIEVE that it's Dec 1st and I have failed to update my blog since Aug. 9th. Good grief! I promise to try and do better:)

We are heading into our 6th month of waiting for the referral of our little boy! I know that anyone who has walked this adoption journey before knows how difficult it can be to SIT AND WAIT! We talk about him and pray for him with the kids or friends and family who check in and see how things are going but, mostly...we sit and wait!

Friends have told me that this is the hardest part...waiting for your referral. It seems to drag on each day and you swear your phone will never ring! We don't know who he is just that he is alive and in Uganda needing a family to love him and care for him.

Dare I say, that some days we are so busy with our other 3 children that it actually feels like its not even real and will never happen. Once in a while the days drag on when all my kids are in school and I "try" to stay busy with housework, reading my adoption, coffee dates, etc...to help pass the time. Don't get me wrong, I have LOVED these past 3 months with the kids in school and days to myself enjoying the quiet house and being able to lounge in my jammies listening to my favorite podcasts, cooking or just sitting quietly. But...my heart has a longing that was placed there by God and it will continue to long until He completes the journey that He started in our hearts exactly a year ago this month!

Waiting patiently

2011-08-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

Ok . . . so sorry . . . I am still here!

Life keeps moving forward each and everyday. Our family is LOVING this summer! We have taken a trip to Montana to visit friends and then off to Alberta to visit my family and more friends! It was such a treat for me to reconnect with wonderful people who have helped shape me into the woman I am today. I haven't really been home (Alberta) much in the past 3 years, so for our family to take the time and make it happen was truly a blessing to me:-)

We have tried to swim as many days as possible, have friends over for bbq's, we've attended summer church camp, participating in community concerts and outdoor movies have just been a few of the highlights! And...just last week soccer and softball have started up AGAIN! I swear I can hear the leaves rustling in the wind getting ready to turn colors:-)

It has been a wonderful summer that I have enjoyed everyday with my 3 munchkins and sometimes many more...but something has been missing deep in my heart...our little boy all the way over in Uganda is not home yet!

Our adoption update:

Our paperwork, home study and our online training are all done! We went to get our biometrics fingerprints on June 7th. We left expecting a good 45 day wait to hear back (that was about average of how long our friends had been waiting). We were shocked on June 18th when our FDL showed up at our home in 11 days!! Maybe God knew we needed that:-)

We so we have officially been on the waiting list for almost 2 months. We have been told to expect to wait at least 6 months before we get our referral call for our son! Some times the days drag on and seem to go by so S.L.O.W.L.Y and other days I can barely keep up!

These past few months have been a good time for our family to pray diligently for him and to expect great things as we seek the Lord as a family on behalf of "little Valdes".

We also want to thank each of you for your prayers and support! Also, so many of you have gone out of your way to show love and financial support for our family as we move forward to bring our son home!

Thank you, thank you!! God is using you to be a part of something GREAT!

I promise to do a better job updating the blog and sharing the AWESOME things God is doing!

It's all about Jesus!

Erin & Valdes fam

God keeps leading...

2011-03-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hey family and friends,

I'm sorry that I have been out of commission for a while. I told you all that blogging is NOT my thing and it takes EVERYTHING I have to sit down and write my thoughts, feelings or circumstances down! So here I sit after some prodding from my dear hubby and sweet friends :-)

Adoption update:
We had our first homestudy meeting a few weeks ago and God was evident that He is still in this process with us and He is still leading us! During our homestudy visit, Jeff and I were asked if we knew about their pilot program for Uganda. Those of you who know us know that we have been serving in Uganda since 2002.

The last we heard is that you had to live in Uganda for 3 years to be eligible for adoption, so from the beginning we did not think Uganda could be an option. Our coordinator told us that the program has changed and is now an option for families in the USA. The Uganda program is still so new they won't advertise it until they have successfully worked with several families.

Jeff and I went home and prayed about what to do. We have so many dear friends, loved ones and ministry partners in Uganda and we believe we will ALWAYS be involved there! God made it clear to us that that is EXACTLY where He is leading us. If we had not pursued Ethiopia then we may never have found out about the Uganda program where we believe we are to be.

So...we have officially moved over to the Uganda program and will be adopting a little boy from Uganda (hopefully this year!)

We are still in the paperwork process, and America World allowed us to change programs (countries) at no additional costs. Our homestudy should be done in the next few weeks and then we move to complete our Dossier.

We want to thank you all who have sent emails of love and support! We love having a team of friends and family supporting us and praying for us as we move forward.

Boys will be Boys!

2011-01-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

So my boys headed out of town last week to have some real "male bonding"! Anything that involves shooting "something that breathes", the girls and I freely let them go (in the freezing cold, up "way too" early, and cleaning out dead animals). We will happily stay home and watch a few romantic Janette Oak movies:-)

We are trying to keep ourselves busy as we wait for our paperwork from America World. Somehow our check has been lost in space so we are now trying to track it down so we can actually start our dossier! Thankfully, a few weeks ago I ordered birth certificates for Jeff & I. At least I feel like I have done SOMETHING! I have heard it said that once you start your dossier it's like starting a 40hr a week job...oh my!

Hopefully, next time we will have something exciting to share besides dead birds!

Much love,
Erin

Accepted!

2011-01-18T22:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this past week we got our official acceptance to the Ethiopia program with America World. So, we are NOW in full swing of all the "crazy" paperwork. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME...I am not the most organized woman out there (I know...a surprise to all who know me) and it will take all that I have in me to keep my paperwork in any kind of organized fashion!

Oh my, this is just the beginning!

Our new adventure!

2011-01-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

I am not a blogger...but here is my attempt to share with you (our family and friends) what God is doing in our lives. Let me take you back to where it all started!

Here it is. Here is the blog that God used to break through my blind eyes, my closed ears and my selfish heart!

http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2010/10/reality-is-weighty-thing.html

God had me right where he wanted me. He used a dear friend to send this blog to facebook and on that fateful day…I pressed the link! Therefore, I am now sitting here waiting for an approval for us to pursue an adoption of a little boy from Ethiopia! I said it! It’s true! Yay! I am so excited!

We believe that God has put a fire in our hearts to love and pursue Christ and to love and serve those He loves. He loves orphans. He loves widows. He loves the sinner. Therefore, He loves you. And He loves me. I can’t deny that God’s love is stirring me in a new and fresh way. My heart is open, truly open to seek the unlovable, the abandoned and the little children with no one to love and care for them.

I always believed my children would come from my womb. With some help of course...thanks Jeff:) That is what I always wanted. The idea of adoption honestly had never entered my mind. To have a child who looked like one of us and had some of my character traits, personality and quirky tendencies…what a blessing.

Even all those years ago when I had an Eptopic pregnancy and our unborn child went to heaven because he could never survive outside of my womb. It didn’t matter to me for a moment that my life was in danger. What mother wouldn’t give her life up for her child. If only I had the choice. But…God was in control and He loved us AND our baby! We knew it, believed it and held onto it those days following July13th, 2001!

As the years have continued to pass by so quickly I have been blessed beyond measure with my marriage and my amazing 3 kids. Ranger, Bella and Andie have brought such joy, wonder and a true sense of love into our lives. I truly believed that 6 years ago, October 4^th, 2004 would be the final addition to our families. I was joyful, overwhelmed and content. Very content.

It would be a number of years before I realized the stirring that God was doing in my soul and heart. A stirring that God would bring to a boil soon. Which takes us back to the beginning…the link to the blog that God used to get this selfish girl a step closer to His heart.

There is MUCH MORE to this story but that is for another day.

So please feel invited to journey along with us as we start this new adventure of seeking our little one who God has placed on the other side of this world!

Much love,

Erin

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-13T22:07:00.000-08:00

Well, another Christmas season is quickly upon us! So we are trying to be organized and take all the parties, shopping, baking and the other wonderful festivities all in stride. I think it has been a few years since I have sat down and wrote out a Christmas letter. Usually we take a picture and call it good but...this year I have decided to take the time and update all our family and friends.

So many years have gone by so let me re-introduce you to our 3 incredible kids.

Ranger (9) is "all-boy" all of the time! For me, growing up with 3 sisters I never really knew what boys were like and NOW I know! He is going at mock-speed in all things that he does. Some of his favorite things to do: teasing his sisters, exploring outside, finding animals, playing with Copper (our 3-year old spaniel), playing basketball and flag football and spending time with cousins.

He is ready and excited to head into double digits next year. He is really enjoying 4th grade and he has wonderful friends and a great teacher! His favorite subjects are math and science and of course...RECESS. Ranger does a great job of being the "man of the house" when daddy is traveling. He certainly has a big responsibility with a mom and 2 little sisters to look after.

This August we went to the beach with my family and after having a wonderful time fishing, crabbing and spending lots of quality time together the guys went out and caught a lot of salmon. When we got home, Jeff was curing then smoking the fish. He disposed of the hot coals in the back of our garden. Ranger the explorer wandered out there with no shoes on and stepped right on the burning coals and started screaming. After an intense trip to the emergency room, we learned he had second degree burns on his bottom of right foot and in between four toes. It was a VERY intense day to say the least. After being on crutches for a week he started to heal. He is now fine, but it was a day Jeff and Ranger would both like to forget!

Bella (7) is the 2nd mother of the household. She is always there taking care of her little sister Andie and helping me out whenever I call. Bella is in 2nd grade at West Hills Christian and she loves school very much!

She is a very hard worker and a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to school. Bella does think she has the coolest teacher and the best friends a girl could have. This was her first year of sports and we have discovered our sweet Bella does have a competitive streak in her.

She started playing softball this year and is very excited for it to start up again this spring.

We are so proud to watch her turn into a beautiful young lady.

Andie, my baby, is now 5! I just can't believe how time flies. This new season of life is wonderful. Because she has a late birthday, Andie is in preschool only 3 mornings a week. Everyone who knows her thinks about her passion for gymnastics. We can be in the store, at the mall, or even in the parking lot when you look over and watch her performing a cartwheel, one-handed cartwheel, round-off or a handstand. And we are taking over 100 every day! When she is not upside down, she is singing. It may be a song she thinks she knows or one she makes up, but rare is their a time she is not active.

Her biggest adventure so far had to be back in November when daddy took her with him for an 8 day trip to Canada to share all about the Berean Way and visit with my family. It was a trip the two of them will not soon forget.

Jeff continues his full-time work with the Berean Way (www.bereanway.org). He traveled to northern India in February and May where he is working with the Christian leaders of the unreached people and tribal groups.

Then back to Uganda in August. In October, he canceled his third trip to India this year and invited his Indian partner, Rev. Sam & Susannah and Jehohanan (5) to spend 2 weeks with us. After a series of miracles, they arrived in Portland. This was an impactful time to finally meet Susannah and share our side of the ministry and learn more about each other's culture. They made a life-long impact on me and everyone they came in contact with.

The biggest challenge of the year came when a routine mole removal on Jeff's left arm turned out to be malignant. Praise God it had not grown deep and after a larger area was removed, the doctors deemed him clear and cancer free in that area.

Erin, I feel like this last year I have entered into a whole new season of life. My baby is growing up so we have no more diapers, bottles, highchairs...life is great! The kids buckle their own seat belts, take showers by themselves, can sit down and do their homework, and help out with chores! We have officially left the baby stage!! I love this new season of life where we enjoy our kiddos more and more each day.

We still have the privilege of living close to all of Jeff's side of the family. We have cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents all within 15 minutes of us. It is definitely a treat to carpool, go to Sunriver and have get together whenever we desire. We are spoiled and we love it!!

Lots of other exciting things have happened this year too! The most wonderful treat Jeff and I had was to take a cruise on the Mediterranean in June.

God blessed us with airfare, a cruise package, time and babysitters (my family). We traveled through Italy, Croatia, Greece, France and Spain for 2 weeks.

We felt like honeymooners exploring parts of the world we had wanted to see for years. It's amazing how quickly you forget all your responsibilities at home and EVEN OUR CHILDREN!! We also met some great new friends that made our daily excursions so memorable.

Jeff and I also followed our passion and we started up a "newly married" community group with our church. We just have the best couples who are allowing us to invest our lives into their lives and who are also challenging us in our marriage and everyday walk. We are really looking forward to many fun times ahead as we get the privilege of getting together each week. ( I think the real reason is that it helps us feel a lot younger...we are really starting to "grow up"...especially my husband...who is now 40;)

In July, my sister and her family moved up here to join us in ministry. They live only a few miles away from us after spending several years in Scotland, then San Diego as missionaries. Tim is the new Discipleship Director for the Berean Way. Having the cousins back together is the most fun for everyone!

We have had so many wonderful times with family and friends over this last year that it is hard to recount all of them! I hope and pray that you have gotten a glimpse of our lives this year. We love you and are thankful to God for each of you!

Merry Christmas - Erin & family